Like it or not, the Black Friday shopping free-for-all, with its price cuts, frenzied shoppers, and long lines aplenty, is practically an American institution. This Friday, there’s one shopping companion you don’t want to be without: your Smartphone. Here are some helpful apps specially designed to de-clutter the biggest shopping day of the year and help you find exactly what you want, when you want it, and for the best price. —Sam Marks
No More Socks
Holiday shopping can be overwhelming, especially without a plan of attack. That’s where No More Socks comes in. With this app, you can set a budget for your day, create a list of all your friends and family members for whom you need to buy gifts, and organize your gift ideas with personalized lists for each person. The app will even remember clothes sizes for everyone on your shopping list. No More Socks gets you organized before you shop, so you can race through the aisles with conviction.
Price: $1.99
Zoomingo
If you have an idea of what you want to buy, but not sure where to go, this app is a fantastic tool. Zoomingo’s store locator helps you navigate local sales by pinpointing all the stores in your area and listing every item on sale. If there’s something you like, but the price isn’t right, you can “follow” the item to find similar items with one click. Zoomingo also notifies users if the price drops at any time throughout the day.
Price: free
TGI Black Friday
The days of sifting through piles of sales circulars are long gone, with apps like this one compiling all the needed information in one place. TGI Black Friday lets you check out new ads before they are released, sort through popular deals, compare product prices at different retailers, and even see if it’s worth making the journey to the nearest store that has your favorite products in stock. It’s pages beyond pages of circulars in the palm of your hand!
Price: free
Black Friday by FatWallet
If you’re looking to avoid the in-store craze altogether, stay home and shop with FatWallet, which is among the best online-only deal aggregators on the market. Sort by any combination of category, store, brand, and price range, or narrow deals down with advanced options like free shipping and door busters. It’s a one-stop shop for every online sale out there.
Price: free
Store-Specific Apps
Many of Black Friday’s powerhouses now cater to the concept of shopping with your Smartphone. Using the ever-useful location services, popular retailers like Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom and Wal-Mart have updated their apps to provide location-specific special offers, store maps and product locations so you can beeline to the items you need, or the deals that are just too good to pass up. This one from Macy’s is a must-have for brave families hitting the iconic store this Friday. Happy shopping